New Trials
by Caedmon-X
Summary: What happened to the animorphs after the war?


Title: New Trials

Author: Caedom-X

Rating: PG to PG-13 for sci-fi violence and possibly future things… **;-)**

**In the not so distant future…**

**Animorphs**

**Episode II**

**New Allies**

**_It is years after the defeat of the Yeerks at the planet earth. The remnant of the empire is drifting around the galaxy as mercenaries, pirates, or the collection of the Imperial Fleet._**

**_The Andalites, Humans, Hork-bajir, and a number of other species have begun to rebuild everything that the Yeerks destroyed. Their "Species _****_Alliance_****_" has been successful in the past few years._**

**_However, there is a new threat that is coming to the galaxy that has not shown his face since the end of the war. Is the Species _****_Alliance_****_ strong enough to take on a new enemy this early in the game? We will soon find out…_**

_On the outer rim there rests a nebula field known as Nwy Chymyla. It is here that the remnants of the Yeerk Empire lie in wait nursing their wounds, and war on each other. The Yeerks have managed to stay hidden here for the last many years. The intense radiation from the nebula aids in blocking any sensors from penetrating, making it the perfect hiding place. _

_The Yeerk warlords made little progress in the struggle to become strong again, because of their constant feuding. A few managed to create temporary alliances with one another, but they never lasted long. With the capture of their emperor and the execution of Visser One, the ashes of the empire created a new government in one of their peace talks. It lasted six years before crumbling. However, they managed to keep most of the new military system and gaudy titles. The individual commanders were so concerned with accumulating power that they eventually fell apart, almost leading them back to where they had started._

Jake read this and more on an intelligence padd, briefing him for his current mission. He sat in the cockpit of his personal battle-fighter, the _Bengal_as he took off from his starcruiser _The Grizzly_ andflew through the expanse. A battlestation orbiting one of the few planetoids in the expanse appeared in view. Massive shipyards hard at work encircled the structures, constructing new support warships. Seven blade ships and a number of other starships, that Jake didn't recognize, converged on his location.

A husky voice came over the comm system and a Hork-Bajir face appear on the screen, "State your name and business."

Jake hesitated for a moment before responding, "I am Admiral Berenson, of the newly formed Species Alliance. I am here to speak with Warlord Asplin."

"Transmit your clearance code," the whole thing was routine by now. This would be the fourth time Jake met with Warlord Asplin. He'd made little progress.

Jake punched a few buttons on the console in front of him and waited for the response. He didn't have to wait long, "Proceed to docking shaft three-o-two-two."

"Thanks," Jake responded.

He navigated the small craft toward the massive station beyond the fleet as his own starship joined the others in orbit. Ten minutes later he touched down in the docking bay of the large battlestation. He found a regiment of six tall heavily armed aliens awaiting him. They were the newest addition to the Yeerk ranks. The human tongue did not have the ability to pronounce their name, so Jake never bothered remembering what it was.

Their skin radiated a pail blue, mottling light green speckles over their thin bodies. They had things that resembled tentacles instead of arms though they did have what you might call hands at the ends. Eyes sat on top of short wavy stalks. Other than that, they appeared to be like your average humanoid.

As they marched to the command center of the battlestation Jake watched his refection in the many reflective surfaces along his path. He noticed for the first time, his face had aged even more from the "elderly" teenager that he'd once been when the war had ended. It now looked like the face of a man in his mid-thirties, despite the fact that he had just had his twenty-second birthday. Of course, it didn't help that he hadn't shaved in several days. His skin lined by years of stress featured rough coarse brown stubble. His eyes sported the focus of most of the aging. They sagged slightly, tired and alone. Not many people, especially people of his age, had been forced to mature so rapidly. He still appeared handsome, but with an unpolished look.

In a large chamber, whose walls bore large sheets mirroring durasteel, stood Supreme Warlord Asplin whom had installed banks of observation screens on one side.

He spun around as Jake entered the room.

"Ah, Admiral Berenson. It is good to see you again," Asplin's human host had a distinct accent, but Jake couldn't quite identify it.

The entire left half of Asplin's face was covered in a mass of pink scar tissue. A badge of honor from a previous battle no doubt.

"I know you are here to try and win over my help in your attack against the traitorous followers of your brother's Yeerk. But I'm not sure that it is worth my resources to aid you."

Changing the subject Asplin asked, "Have you noticed how my fleet has expanded since you were here last?"

Sensing that Asplin was trying to detract Jake from his mission, Jake decided he would humor him this time. "Your fleet is indeed impressive, but hardly any defense against what the Kelbrid have amassed," Jake said gesturing towards the vessels visible on the central screens.

The screen switched to the face of a blue skinned Andalite whose eyes showed a look of concern.

Admiral! We've detected a number of incoming ships…moving fast! I've…I've spotted fifty! 

War Lord Asplin looked at a nearby terminal. His eyes went wide at the site of the readings and shouted across the deck, "Sound all alarms!"

"Weerweerweerweerweerweer!" the sound of intense sirens shrieked through the air.

Jake caught his breath as he recognized the fleeting forms of fifty-two Spear Cruisers. A new class of war ship, about two-thirds the size of Blade-ships but nearly as powerful. Made of a turquoise alloy, these ships possessed great speed and hadn't yet met a match.

"Is this a drill," Jake asked. "Or are you just trying to impress me?"

Asplin glared at him, "No! That's High Admiral Semmis!"

He shouted to his fleet, "Lock on any target and fire!"

Five of the enemy ships took severe hits, but even those losses were insignificant compared to the sheer numbers in the attacking fleet.

The image of the andalite commander still showed on the screen. "Sotha, engage the attacking ships. Take them out one at a time."

Aye, Admiral. Tactical officer, deploy all fighters. Concentrate all firepower. Select one target, destroy it, then move on to the next. Scattered fire won't accomplish anything. 

Asplin's fleet decided that it would be wise to follow suit with _The Grizzly's_ tactics. Fighters started to swarm out of _The Grizzly_ and began firing on the nearest attacker. Sotha, took Jake's flagship to the point of a phalanx formation, being larger and more heavily outfitted than any of Asplin's ships. _The Grizzly_ targeted and fired obliterating two more of the foreign ships. Then Jake realized with horror that _The Grizzly_, itself, was the primary target of the combined assault of the attack. They converged on it like bees swarming around an intruder, firing and firing.

"We can't hold out much longer…shields failing…" Jake could see the fear in the andalite's eyes as he understood his fate. "Admiral…I…"

Booooooooom!

_The Grizzly_ cracked apart. The engines unleashing energy into all directions.

"Oh, Sotha. I'm sorry."

Achieving their target the surviving ships, thirty-three of them according to the read out on the central screen, broke off and tunneled into z-space.

Asplin growled, "We won't stand for this. We'll get even. And I have the means to do so with your help, Admiral."

Jake fixed Asplin with a hardened glare, "I have no intention of aiding you in your childish brawl. You just lost me one of the best lieutenants I ever had I will not perpetuate-"

"Guards!" Asplin shouted. "You Admiral will aid us in our attack on Semmis."

Jake was still in shock at the loss of Sotha and numb with unchanneled anger. "If you hadn't noticed. I have no way of aiding you. _The Bengal_ obviously does not have the weaponry to take on Semmis's fleet."

"I was referring to your fleets resources." Asplin gave him a smug look.

Jake narrowed his eyes, "No." With that, he began to change. Stripes spread over his skin. His spine lengthened and the bone stretched out from his body. Finally it was covered in muscle and fur and began to resemble the rest of his body. His face grew out, and formed a muzzle. His ears slid to the top of his head, which completed the morph.

It had all occurred in the blink of an eye. Thanks to the new upgrades to the morphing process.

"Rooooaaaar!" Jake bellowed, before dashing down the hall that led to his ship.

"After him you fools!" Asplin roared in outrage.

Jake ran as fast as he could go. The pounding of alien feet on the hard deck echoed behind him. How many times had he gone through this same scenario? Only this time he was on his own.

Around a corner and down the corridor, back the direction he had been escorted from. _I hope that I'm going the right way,_ he thought. Seconds later he got his conformation, the docking bay door loomed ahead. Reaching it Jake demorphed to input the code that would gain him access.

"Boop boop burp bop. Clunk. Access denied."

"Oh, great!"

He checked to make sure he'd entered it correctly. Yes he had. Therefore, they must have changed it. _Well I guess those code cracking lessons I was forced to take will come in handy for once,_ he thought.

In the distance, he could hear a small group patrol marching toward him. _Look at the lock not the guards. Look at the lock not the guards. Look at the lock not the guards._ He glanced up to see how close they were, _you looked at the guards!_ Then, Cling! The doors opened and Jake rushed through. Once on the other side he closed the door, locked it and grabbed a side arm he had learned to morph. Firing along the seam of the door welding it shut.

"There, that ought to hold for a while," he said running to his ship. "Open. ID, Jake Berenson; password, Animorphs are insane."

Access granted. Welcome Admiral! Did your meeting go well? The computer asked. It had been Marco's idea that Jake would need someone to talk to on his solo missions, so he had the engineers add a personal computer.

"Not exactly. Let's just say they were somewhat less than glad to see me leave."

P-choo! P-choo! P-choo!

Weapons fire shot the ship from behind Jake.

Ah, so I see. 

"Maximum burn as soon as possible!"

Aye sir! 

The ship hummed to life and lifted off from the deck. It slowly rotated in place and moved toward the closing outer hatch. It began closing on them.

"Ah, are you going to be able to make that?"

Yes, Sir. 

Jake leaned back in his seat like he expected the worst, which he was. just before the doors slammed shut though, the _Bengal_ zipped out through the narrow gap by revolving vertically.

Jake let out a huge sigh of relief. "Let's not try that again."

I agree, sir. However, it is not over yet. We have three Blade ships in pursuit. 

"Go as fast as you can and when they get in firing range, use evasive maneuvers."

Aye, sir. 

"Set a course for home. Go into Z-Space as soon as we've cleared the expanse."

Aye, sir. But sir, if you don't mind me asking what are you planning to

do? 

"I'm going to take weapons. If you don't mind. Maybe we can take down a

few of their fighters or damage the shields on one of their ships.¨

The Bengal sped up to keep far ahead of the Blade ships that run after in

hot pursuit. Two Blades were coming from the left and one from the right.

This was going to be a lot harder than Jake thought it would be.

((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((((Author Note))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Yes, my friends I'm finally back. Something about being a senior in a private school keeps you busy. That's why I haven't had a chance to write much since last summer. My goal though is to try to post a new chapter every week. We'll see if that works out.

Well what did you think. Please review.

As a preemptive strike in the area of questions, yes I'm formatting this story after a Star Wars movie. Don't ask me why, it's probably because I was listening to Star Wars music to help mw with the space fights, though.

I'm not sure if the writing thingy that uploads the stories on the site would accept other fonts but I thought I would try it anyway. If the first line of text comes out you'll see that I have the Animorphs font on my computer, and if it doesn't I wrote out "Animorphs" as the series title.


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